Atiku offers Nigerians hope in New Year message

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to back him to forge a new era of hope and prosperity for the nation.

The former vice president is one of the favourites to emerge victorious in the 2019 presidential election, and he has called on Nigerians to make it a reality so that the nation can set a new course of leadership.

In a new year message signed by the candidate on Monday, December 31, 2018, he noted that the year 2019 holds a lot of promise for the country as long as Nigerians are ready to do the hard work of voting out the current government.

He said Nigerians must work deliberately to improve the nation by electing a government that offers purposeful leadership.

"We already have the vision, the vision of a nation that is a beacon of hope for the Black Race and the world at large, what we lack and what 2019 can provide, is the leadership that has the capacity to translate that vision into reality.

"In 2019, Nigerians need a leadership that is 100% for 100% of Nigerians, 100% of the time," he said.

Read his full statement below:

"My dear fellow citizens,

"As 2018 comes to an end and 2019 beckons, on behalf of my family and I, let me wish you and your family a very happy New Year in advance.

"In 2018, we became the world headquarters for extreme poverty, however, I am convinced that in 2019, if we chart a new course, we can become the world headquarters for hope and extreme devotion to the cause of lifting our people out of poverty.

"2019 is as yet a blank page. As a nation, we must not settle for whatever it brings. Rather, we must take collective action, through our choices, in making it a year where we revive national hope, with visionary leadership that sees our economy and institutions working again as they did in our golden era.

"We can chart a new course and open a new chapter that sees every Nigerian living in peace and prosperity with their neighbour. It can be the year when our youths finally get a job instead of being unfairly tagged as lazy. With purposeful leadership, it can also be the year when we put an end to terrorism and usher in a golden age of peace.

"But it will not just happen by itself. We have to make changes from the top all the way to the bottom. We already have the vision, the vision of a nation that is a beacon of hope for the Black Race and the world at large, what we lack and what 2019 can provide, is the leadership that has the capacity to translate that vision into reality.

"In 2019, Nigerians need a leadership that is 100% for 100% of Nigerians, 100% of the time. We have seen where division and sectionalism has led us to. Now let us try unity and patriotism.

"Don't lose heart and hope. Nigeria is no stranger to overcoming difficulties. In fact, we have an uncanny ability to perform our best when the worst is upon us. I urge my fellow countrymen and women to remember how we became the first nation in the world to defeat and overcome the Wild Ebola Virus, when even First World nations were struggling with the scourge.

"That resilience is domiciled in our national psyche and together we shall win forever. We shall win over forces of disunity. We shall win over forces of poverty and backwardness.

"But more importantly, in 2019, I want Nigerians to know that it is possible to have a leadership that is compassionate and that this does not equate to weakness. A leadership that is bold but not domineering. A leadership that is intelligent, but not arrogant.

"Indeed, that is the only type of leadership that can navigate the difficulties currently facing our dear nation and lead us to Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress, which are our national motto and which are the hope of all Nigerians.

"Once again, I wish you all a Happy New Year and may 2019 be the year of Nigeria."

2019 presidential election

While next year's election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is expected to be keenly-contested between Atiku and President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), they both face competition from other candidates including Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more.

79 candidates will contest in the election, the highest number ever in Nigeria's electoral history.

Magrellos Opens New Outlet, Rebrands Other

                 

In the furtherance of its quest to be the foremost modern Quick Service Restaurant offering the best of local, continental and oriental dishes in the best of environments and provide its teeming customers with bespoke local, continental and oriental dishes, Magrellos Foods, Nigeria’s fastest growing indoor and outdoor catering services provider has expanded its footprints with the opening of its upscale branch at Moloney Street, Lagos Island, Lagos and the reopening of its rebranded Surulere branch, recently.

Speaking recently at the at the reopening of its rebranded Surulere branch, the Managing Director of Magrellos Foods, Mrs. Margaret Ohwofa, promised its clients in Lagos, especially those in Surulere and Lagos Island a delightful experience during this festive period. She added that beyond the end of year festivities, Magrellos is providing residents and working class people in Moloney a decent and hygienic environment where they can eat quality food at an affordable price, and a place where workers can come and relax after close of work while waiting for the traffic to thaw.

She assured customers of the same premium services that the brand has come to be known for even after the festive period. She disclosed that beyond the presence of the QSR brand in Lagos, the brand will soon spread to other parts of Nigeria to delight discerning customers with its delicious meals and excellent services. “We have plans to make the Magrellos brand go beyond Nigeria to Africa; we will make it an international brand.”

This development is in line with the with the restaurant’s positioning as a trendy and up market food business for all, as it will be recalled that earlier in the year at the unveiling of the eatery’s ultramodern head office at Ogudu GRA in, Lagos, that the Managing Director said that the brand is positioned for the younger generation as well as families and the working class, who have always found the brand appealing.

Magrellos is a fully Nigerian private owned food company established in 2006 with office based at 169, Ogudu road, Ikeja. The business offers wide variety of meals, pastries and confectionery, varieties of bread and ice cream production units.

Ven. Kelvin Tope-Tapere, Ph.D., cutting the tape to declare the Surulere branch of Magrellos open, while Chairman of Magrellos Foods, Chief Simeon Ohwofa and the Managing Director, Mrs. Margaret Ohwofa look on.

Entrance of the rebranded Surulere Branch of Magrellos.

L-R: Chief (Mrs.) Ajayi, Chief (Mrs.) Adeline Balogun, Chief (Mrs.) O. O. Adegbite, Chief Simeon Ohwofa Chairman, Magrellos; Mrs Margaret Ohwofa, MD, Magrellos, Princess Adaeze Osasa, and Molara Adeoye, at the opening of the rebranded Surulere Branch of Magrellos.

Chief Simeon Ohwofa, Chairman Magrellos Foods and Mrs. Margaret Ohwofa, MD, Magrellos Foods, left, flanked by Magrellos staff at the reopening of the rebranded Surulere Branch of Magrellos.

L-R: Retired Police Commissioner, Sir Johnson Ighomereho, Rev.Olubode Kayode of St. Andrew Anglican Church, Ogudu, Mr. Francis Ewherido, MD, Titan Insurance Brokers; Mrs. Margaret Ohwofa, MD, Magrellos Foods; her mother, Mrs. Rebecca Ighomereho; Chief Simeon Ohwofa, Chairman, Magrellos Foods and Rev. Olufemi Ogunro, also of St. Andrew Anglican Church at the opening of Magrellos Branch, Moloney, Lagos Island.

Security guard allegedly steals church appliances

The police on Thursday arraigned a 32-year-old security guard, Taiwo Komolafe, in a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing some appliances worth N780,000 from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chief Shepherd Parrish.

Komolafe, whose address was not provided, is charged with two counts of breaking-and-entering and theft.

The prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the accused committed the offence on December 11, at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chief Shepherd Parish at No. 81, Iwaya road in Yaba area of Lagos.

Unuigbe said that the accused, who worked as the security guard at the church, unlocked the church auditorium very early in the morning and stole some appliances.

He alleged that Komolafe stole a Yamaha keyboard valued at N550,000; a guitar valued at N150,000 and a HP laptop valued at N80,000 from the auditorium.

Unuigbe said that the theft was reported at the Sabo police station by Pastor David Ajigbewu, the resident pastor of the parish.

“My Lord, the accused confessed during interrogation that he stole the items so he could sell them and use the proceeds to start a new life,” Unuigbe said.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 287 and 311 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015. (Revised)

After the charges were read to him, Komolafe pleaded not guilty.

Chief Magistrate P.A. Ojo, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ojo ordered that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed.

He also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of three years tax payment to Lagos State government while their addresses should be verified by the court.

The case was adjourned until January 25, 2019 for hearing.

Group seeks reopening of closed boarding schools in Gombe

The Gombe North Unity and Development Association (GONUDA) has called on the state governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, to reopen three boarding secondary schools closed by his administration since 2014.

GONUDA is a voluntary non-partisan association of people from the Gombe North senatorial district of the state to canvass for unity and rapid development of the zone.

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, the Chairman, Board of Trustee of GONUDA, Mohammed Musa Kafarati, said the government should as a matter of urgency consider reopening the schools to avoid deteriorating further western education in Gombe North Senatorial District.

“The trio of Government College, Nafada, Government Secondary School, Dukku and Government Girls Secondary School, Malala was closed because of insecurity problem in the past, but we now believe the security situation has greatly improved,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that the three only boarding schools in the zone were closed down four years ago due to hitherto security concerns experienced in the state.

According to the GONUDA, even before the closure of the schools, the Gombe North zone has the largest number of out of school children, inadequate educational infrastructure and scarcity of teachers.

Kafarati added that the poor state of literacy in the zone is worsened by near absence of demand by parents, “who still remain sceptical and do not encourage enrolling their children in the available schools.”

According to the association, despite being the largest zone in terms of land mass, population and mineral resources, the Gombe North zone lagged behind the other senatorial districts of the state in development.

The board of trustees chairman added that the zone has the worst poverty index, poor medical facilities and highest number of unemployment rate and growing scourge of drug abuse.

Parties, candidates in Ekiti woo voters with gifts

Political campaigns in readiness for the February general elections have heightened across towns and villages in Ekiti state, with an assortment of gifts being dished out to would-be-voters, in the spirit of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that items distributed to both party faithful and potential voters, depending on status, include cash, chicken, turkey, rice, cooking oil as well as bales of cloth.

It was learnt that some even went as far as organising feasts in their various home towns where food and drinks, including branded campaign items were freely distributed.

While some candidates simply choose to distribute gifts at party secretariats at both state and local government levels, others preferred to distribute them in their various country homes, where musicians simultaneously entertained beneficiaries.

Branded items bearing the portraits and campaign slogans of those contesting one elective office or the other were shared to attendees.

NAN reports that almost all the political parties are involved in the gambit.

Only the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, state House of Assembly elections are due in the state next year, with a new governor elected in June.

An aide to one of the candidates who preferred to speak anonymously, clarified that the distribution of Christmas and New Year gifts by his principal was an annual exercise meant to reduce the suffering of the people. He said the gesture has nothing to do with wooing voters.(NAN)

Police nab 2 for murder of Police officer

The Police Command in Niger said it had arrested two suspects for allegedly killing a Superintendent of Police during robbery operation at Storm Star Hotel Madalla in Suleja Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Mohammadu Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Minna.

Abubakar, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), alleged that the suspects belonged to an eighth -man gang responsible for armed robbery operation and the killing of police officer on Nov. 15 in his hotel room.

The deceased was serving under Borno State Police Command.

The assailants took away items including six Plasma televisions, one Infinix Hot 4 1 phone, a wrist watch and 1,600 dollars as well as N31,000 cash.

The suspects confessed to the crime while the case is still under investigation.

”We are doing everything humanly possible to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the robbery operation."

Similarly on Dec 21, operatives from F-SARS, Minna, arrested one suspect of Gwada village in Shiroro Local Government Area in possession of illicit drugs after executing a search warrant in his medicine store at Gwada.

”Thirty-four cartons of the illicit drugs were recovered valued at N4.2 million."

The suspect confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court after investigation.

Also based on a tip-off, police detectives attached F-SARS Minna, arrested one suspect at Angwan Daji, Chanchaga Local Government Area with a full sack of dry leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp inside tricycle.

During Police investigation, the suspect confessed to the crime and mentioned five other suspects at large.

He said effort was being made to arrest the fleeing suspects.

Mohammad solicited the support of residents to offer credible information that could assist in apprehending criminals in the state.

2019 Presidency: Fayose calls out Gov Yari, talks of Buhari govt’s plot in Zamfara

Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, has urged Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, Zamfara governor to return home and protect his people.

Fayose, lamenting about spate of Killings, said Yari should not be abroad at a time when there is level of insecurity in Zamfara.

Fayose said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday.

The statement read: “I’m aware that the governor is abroad and I advise that he should return home.

“This is the time for him to be a man and stand in defense of his people rather than standing with their oppressors.”

Fayose also accused the federal government of plotting to hide under the killings to impose emergency rule on the state.

He said the alleged plot was in response to the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field candidates for the 2019 elections in Zamfara.

The ex-governor accused the government of orchestrating a “selfish, partisan agenda”.

“With the emergency rule, there will only be presidential and national ssembly elections in the state in February next year while governorship and state house of assembly elections will be postponed till May

“The federal government should admit its failure and apologise to the people of Zamfara state, who were left at the mercy of armed bandits as using the killings to achieve political goal is not only wicked but inhuman.

“The federal government must be reminded that “under the PDP government of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, emergency rule was declared in three states in the north-east without dismantling democratic institutions,” the statement added.

Minimum wage: Blame FG, not labour for looming strike, says NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday said Nigerians should not blame the union for the looming industrial chaos in January owing to what it perceived as the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the N30,000 minimum wage.

The union also knocked Buhari for his proposed establishment of a technical committee to look into the minimum wage issue, stressing that the only recognised panel was the tripartite committee that had already submitted its report on the minimum wage.

The union had on Friday said in a communiqué issued after its meeting in Abuja that it would stage a nationwide protest on January 8, 2019 over what it described as the Federal Government’s delay in transmitting, enacting and implementing a new national minimum wage of N30,000 for workers.

The union also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate state governors for alleged diversion of the bailout funds and other finds released by the Federal Government to them.

Earlier, the union had frowned on a statement credited to the Nigeria Governors Forum which stated that states would not be able to pay the new minimum wage. The statement was released by the NGF Chairman, Abdulaziz Yari, after a meeting of the governors.

The NLC said it made a lot of sacrifices to lower its demand from N60,000 to N30,000, stressing that the governors were carried along before the new amount was arrived at.

It called on the governors not to treat workers like slaves.

In an exclusive chat with our correspondent in Abuja, the General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, reiterated workers’ resolve not to accept anything lower than the proposed N30,000 minimum wage.

He said, “After the statement we issued on the coming industrial strike, we have not heard anything from the Presidency. The day we submitted the report, he (Buhari) promised that he would speedily transmit a draft bill to the National Assembly; but till today, about two months after, he has not transmitted that to the National Assembly.

“What we heard during the budget presentation at the National Assembly is that a high-powered technical committee will be set up. We find that very unfortunate because the technical committee in relation to minimum wage is the tripartite committee that has finished its work and made recommendations.

“Talking of any committee, be it low-powered, medium-powered or high-powered at this stage is unacceptable to us. We formally reject it and call on Mr President to send the bill to the National Assembly. The ultimatum we gave is for the bill to be sent to the NASS. The House took a resolution calling on the President to bring the bill; what is the difficulty he is having? If he cannot do it, nobody should hold organised labour in the country responsible for the industrial chaos that is likely to follow.”

The NLC secretary also knocked the governors for what he described as unaccountable expenditure, saying that the union was not using the forthcoming elections to blackmail them.

“The minimum wage issue is not a partisan issue. It is one of the issues that will determine the next elections. Workers are not slaves; politics is about interest and seeking one’s own interest. If workers in their states are saying that they will not vote for them because they have not taken care of their interest, you don’t call that blackmail. I have a different name for it; that is democracy. That is how democracy works. They can go and mourn till high heaven; we will continue to work in that direction,” Ozo-Eson added.

Buhari slams wife over claim that cabal runs his govt

President Muhammadu Buhari has demanded evidence for the claim that his government is being run by a cabal.

He spoke in an interview with Voice of America, Hausa Service.

The President’s wife, Aisha Buhari, during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Hausa Service, had first alleged that her husband was being controlled by a cabal.

She had said, “The President does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”

She had threatened not to campaign for him if things continued that way.

The President had dismissed that statement by saying his wife belonged to the kitchen and the “other room.”

But while speaking at a leadership summit in Abuja earlier this month, Mrs Buhari challenged Nigerians to fight the “two or three people who have dominated this government.”

She said, “Our votes were 15.4 million in the last (presidential) election and after that only for us to be dominated by two people… this is totally unacceptable.

“If 15.4 million people can bring in a government and only for the government to be dominated by two people or three people, where are the men of Nigeria? Where are the Nigerian men? What are you doing? Instead of them to come together and fight them, they keep visiting them one after the other licking their shoes (I’m sorry to use those words).”

However, during the VOA chat, the interviewer asked Buhari to formally respond to the allegations in the light of his wife’s recent statement.

“Have you heard of the word cabal? So many people have spoken about the cabal; alleging that there are a few people in charge of this administration, that you are not the one in charge. Even your wife said something about this recently,” the VOA reporter had asked.

In response, President Buhari said, “That’s her business. It shows I am a real democrat… What they are saying is different from what is happening. They (those making these allegations) should come out and say those things they feel were stage-managed by the cabal, which I was forced to do. They should mention just one thing.”

But the People Democratic Party advised the President not run away from the allegation levelled against him by his wife.

The PDP said the President had “tactically” admitted to the existence of a cabal in his government by claiming that the allegation had shown that he was a democrat.

The National Chairman of the PDP,  Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke with one of our correspondents while reacting to the interview by the President,  said Buhari should not trivialise the allegation by his wife.

He said, “I read what the President said about the allegation by his wife. He tried in vain to trivialise it. But he failed.

“The President should not run away from the issue raised by his wife, who by her position and privilege is the closest person to him.

“The President should not try to be sarcastic.  He should not trivialise such a serious allegation.  He is claiming to be a democrat by the allegation and yet he is also asking the same wife to come and substantiate the same allegation.

“The President should not take us for a ride. He should rather come clean on it instead of trying to trivialise it.”

Besides, the President’s wife, some of the President’s allies including the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), had alleged that those who were in the frontlines during Buhari’s struggle for power were relegated to the background while those who were nowhere during the struggle were calling the shots.

He even alleged that members of and supporters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party whom he claimed constituted 50 per cent of those holding public office were responsible for the President’s perceived failures.

He spoke during the inauguration of the Buhari Support Organisation Campaign Office earlier this year.

Why we must vote APC again, says Princess Omolola

At a meeting with the people from her political constituency, which consists of Ifako Ijaye, Ojodu LCDA and Agege Local Government, Princess Omolola Priscilla, the President of Vanguard Network for Sanwo Olu, has stated why the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), must be voted in again and Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as the best candidate for Lagos State.

She made this know while distributing rice in celebration of the Christmas season with them yesterday.

"The main reason our group is for Sanwo-olu is because we want a working Lagos to continue," she declared.

Princess Omolola, who is based in the United States, insisted that she had to come home to lend her voice to ensuring that Lagos State does not fall into the hands of the opposition, who would only disrupt a working system.

"APC is the best party for Lagos and Sanwo-Olu is right candidate too," she said, "So this gathering is important in sensitizing my people, letting them know things can work in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole."

Banking on her experience as a leader of political support group for four years now, she added, "I live in a country where things are working because of this, I know when and which government should be trusted."

And regarding the emergence of Sanwo-Olu as the party's flagbearer, Princess said, "It is normal for a political party to have issues, but you would agree with me that the way it was resolved was highly commendable. APC as a party is now stabilised and stronger as the incumbent governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has also agreed to work in ensuring the success of Sanwo-Olu and the party in general."

When asked what her end game was by leaving the comfort of her US based home to campaign for a political party in Nigeria, she responded, "If the system is working, then I have already gotten my reward."

The Lagos coordinator of the Vanguard Network for Sanwo-Olu, Mr. Femi Kupolati, said over 100 people benefited from the free rice distribution while enjoined them to serve as ambassadors in carrying the message across to their families and friends that APC is the way to go and Sanwo-Olu is the right candidate for governor.

Magazine of the Year: Brand Communicator shines again at LaPRIGA 2018

Olusegun McMedal, Chairman, Lagos NIPR Chapter; Tolulope Egbewunmi, Senior Business Development Executive, Brand Communicator; Hon. Kehinde Bamgbetan, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy; Joshua Ajayi, Publisher, Brand Communicator and Tunji Faleye, Editor, Brand Communicator at the 2018 LAPRIGA Awards yesterday.

For the second year running, Nigeria’s most consistent and most prominent premium frontline all gloss brand and marketing communication journal, Brand Communicator Magazine was awarded the prestigious PR Magazine of the Year Award by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Lagos State chapter at this year’s Hat Trick edition of the most prestigious PR industry awards, the LaPRIGA.

According to the organisers of the Lagos PR Industry Gala and Awards, LaPRIGA, the prizes are administered by the Advisory board of LaPRIGA made up of individuals with impeccable character and requisite academic and professional accomplishments. Presenting the award to Brand Communicator, the Lagos state Commissioner for information and Strategy, Honourable Kehinde Bamgbetan said, “this LaPRIGA award is presented to Brand Communicator for upholding the highest professional standard in publishing and journalism, engaging minds building relationships and transforming marketing decisions.”

Welcoming guests to the gala, Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the NIPR, Mr. Olusegun McMedal expressed his gratitude to members and other stakeholders of the chapter who have made the gala a success. While stressing that the chapter will continue to up the ante in the industry, he said that the Executive Council remains committed in helping its members stay ahead of trends in the industry through thought leadership lectures, career enhancing initiatives, networking opportunities and celebrating deserving practitioners.

Responding on the award, Brand Communicator’s Senior Business Development Executive, Tolulope Egbewunmi thanked organisers for the awards, stating that this will spur the team to work harder. “This award shows that our efforts in projecting the industry and promoting excellence have not gone unnoticed. We are thankful to the Lagos NIPR. This will spur us to do much more going into 2019.”

In his reaction, the Publisher of Brand Communicator, Joshua Ajayi had this to say: “This is a wonderful way to cap an eventful year for us at Brand Communicator. For me, winning this award for the second year running shows that we have maintained our consistency and we can only do better. For this award, I give thanks to God for given us the enablement to accomplish all we have done. This award is dedicated to the team at Brand Communicator, the best in the world, and to all who have supported us in the industry.”

In the first category of the awards presented by the Lagos state, Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kehinde Bamgbetan, Thisday Newspaper’s Editor for Brands and Marketing, Raheem Akingbolu was honoured with the award for the PR Journalist of the year.

Other awards were also given at the event. For his numerous pioneering roles in the perception industry in Nigeria, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C&F Porter Novelli, Nn’emeka Maduegbuna who has had over three decades of experience in strategic communications planning, corporate positioning and reputation management, as well as extensive practice in the areas of issues and crisis management and litigation communications, was honoured with the LaPRIGA Lifetime Achievement award.

For the Best Support for Public Relations award category where outstanding organisations that have supported the growth of PR practice are honoured, Superscreen, FirstBank of Nigeria and the Indomie brand were honoured. The LaPRIGA award for the Best Agency to Work was won by three agencies. These include Africa Practice, Brooks and Blake and Quadrant MSL Company. The award for Best PR Agency Using New Media was won by Black House Media.

The Best Training Consultancy of the Year award went to Business Education Evaluation Council, the prestigious LaPRIGA Model Agency of All Time was given to C&F Porter Novelli, while the Special Professional Recognition Award was given to the Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, Basil Agboarumi.

The award for the Rising PR Practitioner of the year was won by the Managing Director of Media Panache, Timileyin Bello. Other awardees for the evening include Prince Bisis Olatilo, Chevron and others. The grand honours for the evening were for the PR Consultancy of the year as well as the PR Practitioner of the year. XLR8 PR won the LaPRIGA Consultancy award while the Managing Director of Chain Reactions, Isreal Jaiye Opayemi emerged the PR Practitioner of the year.

The event which held at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Victoria Island had prominent Nigerians as well as professionals in the industry in attendance. Among them are the gubernatorial candidate of Lagos State of the PDP, Jimi Agbaje, APRA President, NIPR President, Mukhtar Sirajo,  APRA President, Yomi Badejo-Okunsanya, among others.

LaPRIGA is a high profile red bow-tie event which has evolved to become the communications industry Oscars aimed at recognising excellence, celebrating practitioners, corporates and stakeholders via awards dinner, and to boost professionalism and more investments in the practice.

Buhari: I’ll give opposition opportunities I never had

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to give the opposition opportunities in the coming elections, the type he himself was never accorded on the four occasions he had run for the presidency.

The president made the pledge when a delegation from International Republican and National Democratic Institutes, United States of America visited him yesterday.

The presidential election is due to hold on February 16 with about 74 candidates billed to participate. But the main contest is expected to be between President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

President Buhari told the visitors: “I am glad you are here to assess our pre-election preparations. It reminds me of the visit by the then Secretary of State, John Kerry, before the 2015 polls. We appreciate the concern of America for stability in developing countries.

“Having run for president three times, ending up at the Supreme Court all three times, before God and technology made a way for me the fourth time, I know what it is to be cheated at the polls.

“What they used to do was just to award votes, and tell anyone who was dissatisfied to go to court. But we won’t do that. I am prepared to give the opposition the opportunities I was not given in the past,” he said in a statement released by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina after the visit.

He assured the visitors that he had told the heads of the security agencies not to be partisan, but to do their work professionally, and allow the will of the people to prevail.

He stressed that the governing party would keep faith with its priorities of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption.

The President said he was happy that the opposition had not been able to successfully fault the focal areas of the government.

“We have done fairly well in the areas we focused on. We know how many local government areas in the North-east were under Boko Haram occupation before we came.

“That does not happen again, save for cowardly attacks, using young girls as suicide bombers. Other areas of security challenge like farmers/herdsmen clashes are receiving attention, and would be sorted out as much as possible,” he said.

On the Electoral Bill that was not assented to, the President said it was because time was against the country.

“Time is against us. We are extremely vulnerable, and need to be careful that messages are not hijacked and figures tampered with, while being transmitted electronically. Even the Russians were accused of tampering with American election, so we will remain conventional, and use electronic transmission in subsequent elections,” he said.

Leader of the American delegation, Ambassador Linda-Thomas Greenfield, said they had met the media, civil society, and political parties, and concerns expressed include fears of security agencies being partisan in the forthcoming elections, suspected non-commitment to free and fair elections by key stakeholders, delayed budget for the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the non-signing of the new Electoral Bill